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Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Chloe's A/W '10 collection stood out as one of my favourites. The simple pieces in a neutral colour palette are effortlessly chic. Who says beige is boring when you've got cosy cashmere layers in every shade from camel to caramel? It's definitely a look I'll be trying to recreate on a High Street budget. H&M and Zara both have some great pieces.

J-Brand's Houlihan cargo pants seem to be everywhere at the moment. Cheryl Cole, Vanessa Hudgens and Leighton Meester have all been spotted out-and-about in theirs. They make a welcome change from plain old blue or black skinnies and come in at £245 from http://www.net-a-porter.com/.

Primark have got a good copy for only £13, but beware - the large side pockets do draw attention to your thighs - making the widest part of your legs look even wider.

Sunday, 20 June 2010

I have a slight obsession with gingham at the moment. You name it - skirts, scarves or dresses - I've got them all. Christopher Kane's gorgeous S/S10 collection has only fuelled my habit. His gingham dresses with corset detailing and cut out panels give a sexy twist to the prairie girl look, and do bear more than a passing resemblance to those sported by the Dorothy hopefuls on BBC 1's Over theRainbow. I'm certainly going to click my ruby slippers and wish for one - and wish I'll have to. Dresses at the £1,500 mark may be out of my league, but a girl can dream.

There's a new trend taking the world by storm - the mullet. No, not the dodgy haircut favoured by '80s footballers, like Chris Waddle (left), but a dress inspired by the whole short at the front, long at the back idea. And it's not as bad as it sounds.

The look has been around for a while, but Sienna Miller and Cheryl Cole have shown us that 'mullet' no longer has to be a synonym for fashion faux pas, and elevated the style to a must for any self-respecting fashionista stepping out onto the red carpet.

Friday, 11 June 2010

Urban Outfitters has long been the place to go for quirky fashion on the High Street, but I have only recently discovered what great bargains are available on their website. In the sale section many items are only £9.99! My picks include an oversized floral tunic (was £32, now £9.99), a Silence+Noise drop waist dress (was £35, now £14.99), and a leopard print blouse with lace inserts by Free People (was £45, now £9.99) - what's more, they're only a few clicks away.

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

My first job after finishing Uni was in a sports shop, where I worked part-time whilst trying to make it as a writer. Aside from dealing with awkward customers and kids who thought it was OK to play football down the aisles, the worse part was having to wear a uniform of jogging bottoms and a hoody - hardly the most flattering look! Say the word 'tracksuit' and images of Vicky Pollard and Waynetta Slob instantly spring to mind. They may be comfortable, but I just felt scruffy. Since leaving the last thing I have wanted to wear is anything remotely sporty, but if anyone can bring me round it's Isabel Marant. The soft tailoring, muted colour palette and killer heels (not trainers!) give a relaxed sophistication to sweat pants I doubted was possible.

It's that time of year again. The sun has come out and it's time to face the prospect of wearing swimwear. The diet may have fallen by the wayside months ago, but there's no reason to hide away - the one-piece is back en vogue.

Aside from the Holy Grail a decent cossie is the single most difficult thing to track down. No further evidence was needed after a single trip to the local swimming pool. One lady was wearing something that wouldn't have looked out of place on a beach 200 years ago and at least two others were wearing leggings and a baggy t-shirt underneath their swim suits. The problem is that however pretty the designs may be you just can't actually swim in them whilst preserving your modesty.

Speedo have come to the rescue with their Sculpture range - designed to emphasise your best bits and disguise the worst. There are three fits to suit different body shapes; the bust shaper for top heavy, the waist smoother for hour glass, and a tummy and hip sculptor for pear shape. Sizes range from 10-20 and B-G cup. They even come in two different body lengths - all to ensure the perfect fit. It's practically made to measure. The only down side is that they cost around £100. Somehow I managed to get my hands on one for a tenner at T.K.Maxx (don't ask me how I do it, Bargains just seem to call to me).

Monday, 7 June 2010

My wardrobe has long since reached its capacity and is now at bursting point. The truth is that I'm a bit of a hoarder. Clothes carry a sentimental value - you remember the particular outfit you wore to that amazing party, or who bought an item for you. Plus, it almost seems an inevitability that things you no longer wear will come back into fashion one day. My Mum always tells me about her leather trench coat, yellow clogs and countless other items that I wish she had kept, but were packed off to charity shops long ago.

If I insist on keeping hold of so many items, I decided the least I could do was tidy up the mess, rather than leave an ever increasing pile of clothes on my bedroom floor. Rummaging around the bottom of my wardrobe in a vain attempt to create more space, I found a pair of my Sister's old sandals that had been handed down to me for playing dress-up. Back in the late '80s/ early '90s our family holidays were spent in Yugoslavia. All of the local waitresses used to wear these shoes, and my Sister couldn't leave without getting herself a pair. They now not only fit me properly, but the lace-up, peep-toe wedges are similar to designs in the shops at the moment. American Retro have got these (pictured right) for £140, available at Urban Outfitters. Hoarding really does sometimes pay off!

Bumping in to my schoolgirl crush over the weekend got me thinking about the '90s - and it would seem that my taste hasn't changed much over the years (in more ways than one). I admit that some of my clothes were, quite frankly, an awful attempt to copy the Spice Girls (lots of Lycra leopard print), but I remember having a great pair of Converse-style heeled trainers in pink gingham that I bought to wear to a school disco. It's a shame that I wore them so much back then that they fell apart, as they'd be bang on trend right now. I have found a good replacement though - these floral heeled trainers are £25 at New Look.

Maybe it's because we hardly ever get the scorching Summers the Met Office promise us year after year that, when the sun finally does come out, a frenzied mixture of excitement and panic sets in - what should I wear?!

For many the answer would appear to be white linen - it's cool and chic, right? Even Coco Chanel believed 'with white, one can never put a foot wrong.' I am not usually one to disagree with Mme Chanel, but whilst sitting outside a cafe on a sunny Saturday afternoon I lost count of the number of people who walked past wearing white linen trousers, completely oblivious to the fact that their underwear was clearly visible beneath. Thongs may avoid unsightly VPL, but achieve little with a loose weave fabric like linen. A long-line t-shirt or kaftan would have transformed the look from cheap to chic in an instant.

It always seems more of an effort to look good in Summer, and I am the first to admit that I am much more comfortable with my Winter wardrobe staples of cosy knits and skinny jeans. Then a heatwave hits and you're lucky if you can even pull up anything skin-tight. I say keep it loose and simple.

City shorts are a perfect double-duty item for the Summer months. They'll take you from poolside to party, or a tailored pair are even smart enough for the office. Plus, you can dare to go shorter than you would with a skirt or a dress without having to worry about bending down! Olivia Palermo has nailed the look, pairing her shorts with a ditsy-print chiffon blouse.

My favourite pair come from Monsoon's Fusion range (£38), as featured in Elle.

Sunday, 6 June 2010

Underwear as outerwear is one of those trends that looks great on the catwalk but is difficult, nigh on impossible, to translate to everyday life. Where the likes of Lady Gaga and Madonna can get away with going out in public with their bras on show, it would no doubt cause a bit of a stir (understatement for disciplinary action) as a wardrobe choice for the office. Either you are labelled as the office tramp or pitied as having experienced a Judy Finnegan-style wardrobe malfunction. Even boho goddess Sienna Miller failed to convince us that the trend would be a goer, when she arrived at the Factory Girl launch party in New York sporting what appeared to be an old pair of P.E. knickers over her tights.

Surprisingly, there are wearable options available. A silk cami top with lace trim is a more elegant way to follow the trend. Primark and Miss Selfridge both have a range of designs in a palette of pretty pastels. I love the vintage vibe of this cami from Topshop Boutique (pictured left, £45). Dresses with cup detailing are another failsafe option and can be found everywhere on the High Street at the moment. Topshop's utilitarian dress (£75) is bound to be a hit with the fashion pack as it ticks off two of the season's biggest trends in one go.

A recent survey conducted by MSN has confirmed what we really already knew - the average bloke just doesn't get fashion. The top 10 items they hate to see us in are:

Ugg Boots

Harem Pants

Headbands

Leggings

Oversized Sunglasses

Gladiator Sandals

Tuxedos

Dungarees

Jumpsuits

Anything with Fringing

OK, harem pants and dungarees are difficult looks to pull off, Ugg boots are, erm, ugly, but this list pretty much covers the average wardrobe.

So, if all the above are ruled out, what do men like girls to wear? According to another survey conducted at http://www.mycelebrityfashion.co.uk/ maxi dresses, one-shoulder numbers, A-line skirts and skinny jeans are in favour - not as bad as I feared! Alexa Chung, Cheryl Cole and Alexandra Burke are considered the most stylish ladies, but men are scared off by Rihanna's more directional look.

I say wear whatever you want. If you feel good in what you are wearing, chances are you'll be looking good too. When out shopping with a friend, I was horrified that she wouldn't buy a top she loved because she thought her boyfriend wouldn't like it. Like it or not, clothes express who we are, so you shouldn't try to change solely to please someone else. But seeing as the boys have had their say, it's only fair that the girls get theirs. Personally, there are plenty of things guys wear I'd love to banish to Room 101:

Low slung jeans exposing boxer shorts (it defies the laws of gravity that they stay up at all!)

Thursday, 3 June 2010

A satchel is the perfect accessory for the style-conscious, yet practical girl. I have been on the lookout for the perfect satchel for weeks now, but call off the search - The Cambridge SatchelCompany have an extensive range of top quality leather satchels and batchels (satchels with the addition of a top handle, I am reliably informed) from £66. You can choose the size, colour and even have your initials embossed to add a personal touch. Sophie Ellis-Bextor is already a fan and the company have experienced a huge rise in orders since featuring as one of Grazia's Top Ten buys - so get your order in before the 14 day turnaround increases. I can't wait to get my hands on mine!

Clogs, yes, clogs are the shoe of the Summer. Alexa Chung kick-started the trend in her £500 Chanel pair, and let's face it, wherever Alexa goes we all want to follow. My favourites have to be MuiMui's range of clogs in quirky prints including cats and daisies. But if your budget doesn't stretch that far never fear, I have found a great pair by F+F at Tesco. At only £28 they are by far the best value out there. Available in black or brown suede, you can afford to buy a pair in each colour if you simply can't choose! When I wore mine on a recent night out admirers couldn't believe where they were from.

Wednesday, 2 June 2010

It's official - red hair is hot! With the likes of Florence Welch, Lily Cole and Karen Gillan flying the flag for gingers everywhere, red is fast becomming the only colour for the style-savvy girl. A natural brunette, Paloma Faith opted to become a redhead when she launched her music career having been inspired by the iconic pin-up girls of the '40s, whilst sex-symbol du jour, Christina Hendricks, has been dying her hair red since the age of ten. Looking at the current wave of flame-haired beauties has got me seriously contemplating reaching for the hair dye myself.

Redheads have never been strangers to playground taunts, but it's definately time for negative opinions to be changed. I was shocked to hear that Nicole Nagington, a twelve-year-old schoolgirl from Telford, had been bullied so relentlessly that she was driven to bleach her hair. Her father Ian described her treatment as 'sickening'. He said, 'pupils used to throw bottles at her and send her horrible notes. They said they were going to kick her head in if she didn't leave the school.'

Nicole, be proud of being a redhead - you're certainly in good company.

Fashion can be a fickle mistress. For example, I never thought I'd be writing a post expressing the virtues of double denim - but here I am! The Texan tuxedo is one of the hottest trends of S/S.

For the past decade or so - ever since the denim disaster that was Britney and Justin's his 'n' hers outfits at the American Music Awards - the style rule has been never double up denim. But hey, sometimes rules are meant to be broken. The distressed, acid wash designs seen on the Balmain catwalk have certainly made me rethink. The trick is to miss-match different washes. Still avoid the indigo suit look favoured by '90s girl band b*witched (remember them?), but try indigo cut-offs with a stone-washed shirt for a relaxed, yet stylish Summer look.

Denim is nothing if not versatile - bags, shoes, earrings - you name it, the High Street is awash with the stuff. So why stop at double when you can go for the treble? Just don't coordinate with your boyfriend!

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All posts on Confessions of a Shopaholic are original to Hannah Moss. Many of the images are not owned by Confessions of aShopaholic but have been included for illustrative purposes. All sources are credited whenever possible. If you are the owner and wish an image to be removed, please get in contact.